---
id: addons
title: Add-Ons
permalink: docs/addons.html
---
> Note:
>
> `React.addons` entry point is deprecated as of React v15.5. The add-ons have moved to separate modules, and some of them have been deprecated.
All doc updates forv15.5 (#9359)
* `react-addons-test-utils` -> `react-dom/test-utils`
Updating all references and docs on the `React.addons.TestUtils` and the
shallow renderer to refer to the correct targets.
Instead of:
```
const React = require('react');
// ...
React.addons.Testutils
// or
const ReactTestUtils = require('react-addons-test-utils');
```
we now show:
```
const ReactTestUtils = require('react-dom/test-utils');
```
And for shallow renderer, instead of:
```
const shallowRenderer = TestUtils.createRenderer();
```
we now show:
```
const shallowRenderer = require('react-test-renderer/shallow');
```
* Update the 'prev' and 'next' attributes of 'add-ons' docs
These flags are used to set arrow links to easily navigate through the
documents. They were wrong or missing in some of the 'add-ons' pages and
this bothered me when manually testing the updates from the previous
commit.
* Update syntax for instantiating shallow renderer
Missed this when updating the docs for the changes to shallow-renderer
in React 15.5.
* Fix pointers in addons docs
Thanks @bvaughn for catching this
* Make example of shallow renderer more consistent
We should show using the same variable names between code samples.
* Make names in example even more consistent
We should use the same variable name for the same thing across examples.
`renderer` -> `shallowRenderer`.
* Update docs to deprecate React<CSS>TransitionGroup
- removes link to the docs about `ReactCSSTransitionGroup` and
`ReactTransitionGroup` from the main navigation
- updates 'prev' and 'next' pointers to skip this page
- adds deprecation warning to the top of the page
- remove references to these modules from the packages README
- updates 'add-ons' main page to list this as a deprecated add-on
* Update `React.createClass` to `createReactClass` in the docs
The `React.createClass` method is being deprecated in favor of
`createReactClass`.
* Remove 'React.createClass' from top level API docs
It no longer makes sense to have a section for the 'createClass' method
in this page, since it won't be available as a top level method on
'React'.
I initially was going to pull the section about 'createClass' into a
separate page to add under 'addons' but it was short and duplicative of
the 'react-without-es6' docs. So I just linked to those.
* Remove *most* `React.PropTypes` from the docs
I am doing the docs for `context` in a separate commit because that case
was a bit less clear-cut.
We will no longer support `React.PropTypes` as a built-in feature of
React, and instead should direct folks to use the `PropTypes` project
that stands alone.
Rather than retaining the `React.PropTypes` examples and just revamping
them to show the use of the stand-alone `PropTypes` library with React,
it makes more sense to direct people to that project and reduce the
perceived API area and complexity of React core. The proper place to
document `PropTypes` is in the README or docs of that project, not in
React docs.
* Update `context` docs to not use `React.PropTypes`
We use `React.PropTypes` to define the `contextType` for the `context`
feature of React. It's unclear how this will work once `React.PropTypes`
is replaced by the external `PropTypes` library. Some options;
a) Deprecate `context`, either in v16 or shortly after. Seems reasonable
based on the intense warnings against using context that we have in the
docs -
https://facebook.github.io/react/docs/context.html#why-not-to-use-context
**Except** that probably some widely used libraries depend on it, like
`React-Router`.
b) Expect users will use external `PropTypes` library when defining
`contextTypes` and just don't do our `checkReactTypeSpec` against them
any more in v16.
c) Stop masking context and pass the whole context
unmasked everywhere. Worst option, do not recommend.
I went with `b` and assume that, for now, we will get users to use the
external `PropTypes` when defining context. I will update this PR if we
want a different approach.
* Remove 'addons' items from left nav, and deprecate 'addons' doc page
The plan:
[X] Remove links to 'addons' items from main navigation
[X] Add deprecation notices where appropriate, and update syntax to show
using the separate modules.
[ ] Update other references to 'React.addons' in docs. Coming in next
commit.
--- blocked but coming in future PRs
[ ] Link to a blog post describing the new locations of add-ons in the
deprecation notice on the '/docs/addons.html' page. Blocked until we
actually publish that blog post.
[ ] Move the docs for each add-on to the actual github repo where it now
lives.
[ ] Redirect the old add-ons doc permalinks to the docs in the separate
github repos for those modules.
[ ] Remove the old add-ons doc markdown files from React core docs.
* Remove references to `React.addons` from docs
Just misc. places where we referenced the 'addons' feature. All gone!
8 years ago
The React add-ons are a collection of useful utility modules for building React apps. **These should be considered experimental** and tend to change more often than the core.
- [`createFragment` ](/docs/create-fragment.html ), to create a set of externally-keyed children.
The add-ons below are in the development (unminified) version of React only:
- [`Perf` ](/docs/perf.html ), a performance profiling tool for finding optimization opportunities.
- [`ReactTestUtils` ](/docs/test-utils.html ), simple helpers for writing test cases.
### Legacy Add-ons {#legacy-add-ons}
The add-ons below are considered legacy and their use is discouraged. They will keep working in observable future, but there is no further development.
- [`PureRenderMixin` ](/docs/pure-render-mixin.html ). Use [`React.PureComponent` ](/docs/react-api.html#reactpurecomponent ) instead.
- [`shallowCompare` ](/docs/shallow-compare.html ), a helper function that performs a shallow comparison for props and state in a component to decide if a component should update. We recommend using [`React.PureComponent` ](/docs/react-api.html#reactpurecomponent ) instead.
- [`update` ](/docs/update.html ). Use [`kolodny/immutability-helper` ](https://github.com/kolodny/immutability-helper ) instead.
- [`ReactDOMFactories` ](https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-dom-factories ), pre-configured DOM factories to make React easier to use without JSX.
### Deprecated Add-ons {#deprecated-add-ons}
- [`LinkedStateMixin` ](/docs/two-way-binding-helpers.html ) has been deprecated.
- [`TransitionGroup` and `CSSTransitionGroup` ](/docs/animation.html ) have been deprecated in favor of [their drop-in replacements ](https://github.com/reactjs/react-transition-group/tree/v1-stable ).
## Using React with Add-ons {#using-react-with-add-ons}
All doc updates forv15.5 (#9359)
* `react-addons-test-utils` -> `react-dom/test-utils`
Updating all references and docs on the `React.addons.TestUtils` and the
shallow renderer to refer to the correct targets.
Instead of:
```
const React = require('react');
// ...
React.addons.Testutils
// or
const ReactTestUtils = require('react-addons-test-utils');
```
we now show:
```
const ReactTestUtils = require('react-dom/test-utils');
```
And for shallow renderer, instead of:
```
const shallowRenderer = TestUtils.createRenderer();
```
we now show:
```
const shallowRenderer = require('react-test-renderer/shallow');
```
* Update the 'prev' and 'next' attributes of 'add-ons' docs
These flags are used to set arrow links to easily navigate through the
documents. They were wrong or missing in some of the 'add-ons' pages and
this bothered me when manually testing the updates from the previous
commit.
* Update syntax for instantiating shallow renderer
Missed this when updating the docs for the changes to shallow-renderer
in React 15.5.
* Fix pointers in addons docs
Thanks @bvaughn for catching this
* Make example of shallow renderer more consistent
We should show using the same variable names between code samples.
* Make names in example even more consistent
We should use the same variable name for the same thing across examples.
`renderer` -> `shallowRenderer`.
* Update docs to deprecate React<CSS>TransitionGroup
- removes link to the docs about `ReactCSSTransitionGroup` and
`ReactTransitionGroup` from the main navigation
- updates 'prev' and 'next' pointers to skip this page
- adds deprecation warning to the top of the page
- remove references to these modules from the packages README
- updates 'add-ons' main page to list this as a deprecated add-on
* Update `React.createClass` to `createReactClass` in the docs
The `React.createClass` method is being deprecated in favor of
`createReactClass`.
* Remove 'React.createClass' from top level API docs
It no longer makes sense to have a section for the 'createClass' method
in this page, since it won't be available as a top level method on
'React'.
I initially was going to pull the section about 'createClass' into a
separate page to add under 'addons' but it was short and duplicative of
the 'react-without-es6' docs. So I just linked to those.
* Remove *most* `React.PropTypes` from the docs
I am doing the docs for `context` in a separate commit because that case
was a bit less clear-cut.
We will no longer support `React.PropTypes` as a built-in feature of
React, and instead should direct folks to use the `PropTypes` project
that stands alone.
Rather than retaining the `React.PropTypes` examples and just revamping
them to show the use of the stand-alone `PropTypes` library with React,
it makes more sense to direct people to that project and reduce the
perceived API area and complexity of React core. The proper place to
document `PropTypes` is in the README or docs of that project, not in
React docs.
* Update `context` docs to not use `React.PropTypes`
We use `React.PropTypes` to define the `contextType` for the `context`
feature of React. It's unclear how this will work once `React.PropTypes`
is replaced by the external `PropTypes` library. Some options;
a) Deprecate `context`, either in v16 or shortly after. Seems reasonable
based on the intense warnings against using context that we have in the
docs -
https://facebook.github.io/react/docs/context.html#why-not-to-use-context
**Except** that probably some widely used libraries depend on it, like
`React-Router`.
b) Expect users will use external `PropTypes` library when defining
`contextTypes` and just don't do our `checkReactTypeSpec` against them
any more in v16.
c) Stop masking context and pass the whole context
unmasked everywhere. Worst option, do not recommend.
I went with `b` and assume that, for now, we will get users to use the
external `PropTypes` when defining context. I will update this PR if we
want a different approach.
* Remove 'addons' items from left nav, and deprecate 'addons' doc page
The plan:
[X] Remove links to 'addons' items from main navigation
[X] Add deprecation notices where appropriate, and update syntax to show
using the separate modules.
[ ] Update other references to 'React.addons' in docs. Coming in next
commit.
--- blocked but coming in future PRs
[ ] Link to a blog post describing the new locations of add-ons in the
deprecation notice on the '/docs/addons.html' page. Blocked until we
actually publish that blog post.
[ ] Move the docs for each add-on to the actual github repo where it now
lives.
[ ] Redirect the old add-ons doc permalinks to the docs in the separate
github repos for those modules.
[ ] Remove the old add-ons doc markdown files from React core docs.
* Remove references to `React.addons` from docs
Just misc. places where we referenced the 'addons' feature. All gone!
8 years ago
You can install the add-ons individually from npm (e.g. `npm install react-addons-create-fragment` ) and import them:
```javascript
import createFragment from 'react-addons-create-fragment'; // ES6
var createFragment = require('react-addons-create-fragment'); // ES5 with npm
```
When using React 15 or earlier from a CDN, you can use `react-with-addons.js` instead of `react.js` :
```html
< script src = "https://unpkg.com/react@15/dist/react-with-addons.js" > < / script >
```
The add-ons will be available via the `React.addons` global (e.g. `React.addons.TestUtils` ).
